Nots: Sorry these updates are taking so long all of the sudden. We got a new dog and I'm attempting to write Law & Order fanfics, so I'm distracted. :)
§ § § §
Satine watched the party rage around her from her safe corner with Nini. She didn't particularly like the other girl but Zidler thought it was safer when they travelled together so Satine put up with Nini's constant complaints about everything. At the moment she was bitching that the party wasn't lively enough. Satine sighed and rolled her eyes, then checked her dress for what was easily the twelfth time that evening.
She was scheduled to meet with the Duke that night and everything had to be perfect. Together she and Zidler had picked out the sexiest outfit she owned, a cream coloured dress with a puffy skirt and sleeves that fell just off her shoulders. She had pinned up her flaming red hair in a simple ponytail and painted her lips red, then twirled for Zidler. He had approved, knowing the Duke would fall for her the moment he saw her.
"This is so borin'," Nini complained. "When's the damn Duke gonna get 'ere?"
Satine sighed. "You have to learn to be patient Nini. He'll get here whenever he feels like getting here. And then our plan will go off perfectly. Nothing can stop this from happening."
"You really think you're gonna spend the rest of your life with that man?" Nini asked, sneering at the very thought. "You've seen 'im, right S'tine?"
Satine shook her head slowly. Zidler had always made her vow that she would never go looking for the Duke or any of the Cobras. They were dangerous, everyone knew it and Satine wasn't about to get herself involved with them unless she had Zidler's protection.
As she mused about what the Duke could possibly look like, Ray walked in the front door of the party, two men trailing behind him. She squinted slightly, trying to see the faces of the other two but all she caught was a flash of green eyes passing over her face and then they disappeared into the crowd.
"S'tine?" Nini asked, elbowing her. "Didja hear what I said?"
Satine blinked rapidly, then stared over at Nini with a blank expression on her face.
Nini sighed in exasperation. "Zidler's tryin' to get your attention. I figure the Duke's finally arrived." She grinned. "Good luck."
Satine smiled gently. "Thanks. I hope this all works out for the best."
§ § § §
Ray drummed his fingers loudly on the coffee table he was sitting beside and cleared his throat constantly. Chris knew Ray was nervous about the meeting with Satine but he didn't quite understand what the big deal was. It would be easy to convince the girl that he could be a street spy, Chris had always been good at making up stories and he was positive he'd be able to convince her of anything. Still Ray looked nervous, glancing at his watch every few seconds.
"You okay?" Chris finally asked.
Ray glanced at him and shrugged. "Sure, I guess."
"He is nervous," the Argentinean offered simply.
Chris smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I kinda got that." He turned back to Ray. "Why are you so nervous?"
"This just has to be perfect, okay?" Ray said suddenly. "No fuck ups, no mistakes, nothing. If you screw this up kid . . ." he left the threat unfinished and sighed. "Look, I'm sorry. It's just that everything is ridin' on your performance tonight. Audrey's gone and if Satine doesn't think you're good enough to take his place Zidler's gonna have my head. Literally."
Chris bit his lip, suddenly just as nervous as Ray. He hardly knew the man but he didn't want to get him into any trouble.
"It'll be fine," Chris said, more to himself than anyone else. "Everything's gonna be fine."
Ray snorted. "You better hope it's fine. If it ain't . . ." he sighed. "There's not much time left. I've set up a meetin' between you and Satine. Totally alone."
Chris' mouth gaped open. "Alone? Totally alone?"
Ray's brow creased as he frowned. "Yeah, totally alone. Deal with it kid."
With a nervous sigh Chris turned away from Ray and the Argentinean, leaning against the wall and staring out at the crowd. A moment later he heard Ray cry out, but when he turned to look, the Argentinean looped an arm around his shoulders and forced him to stare the other way.
"It is the Duke. He cannot see you with Ray. Pretend you do not know us," he hissed, then let go of Chris.
"You shoulda moved," the Duke sneered and Chris turned around slowly, trying to pretend to be just an interested bystander.
Ray glanced up at the Duke, obviously quite unamused. The front of his jacket was dripping with beer. "You dropped your drink on me," Ray said.
The Duke snickered. "You got in the way."
Ray sighed and reached into the Duke's jacket. "Well then, I'll just borrow your cigarettes to mop up this mess," he growled. "Make 'em nice and wet."
"Fuck off," the Duke cried, slapping at Ray's hand.
The smaller man just laughed, then turned toward Chris and reached past him for a napkin. Chris watched as the Duke and Ray stared each other down, then tried to suppress a smile as the Duke finally backed down and stalked across the room. He turned away, still pretending to not know Ray or the Argentinean, afraid that someone might connect him to the Deuces.
§ § § §
Across the room Satine stared as Ray talking furiously to another man. She was sure it was this man that she had seen earlier, but he wasn't turned toward her and she couldn't get a good look at his eyes.
"Ready sweetie?" Zidler asked, nudging her gently.
Satine nodded and turned to him. "I am Harry. Are you ready to show me the lovely Duke?"
Zidler smiled, then shifted his gaze over Satine's shoulder. The smile slid off his face. "The Duke," he moaned, "is the one with Ray's hand in his jacket." Zidler placed both hands over his face and shook his head.
Satine whirled back in the direction she had been looking earlier to see Ray reach toward the man he had come in with. A bright smile swept over her face and she touched Zidler's arm.
"Are you sure?"
He nodded without looking again. "I'm quite sure."
"Well then," Satine grinned, "I don't think this will be at all difficult."
She patted Zidler's shoulder affectionately, then began to make her way across the room. A hush fell over the crowd as she walked and she nearly burst into laughter. Some men were so ridiculous with the way they stared at her. A smile played across her features at this thought; as if they could ever have her. She had standards.
As she neared Ray and the Duke, they both turned to stare at her and Satine found her breath caught in her throat. The Duke was far more handsome than she could have ever imagined. His body was lean and his hair was so dark and thick. It was combed off his face to reveal bright green eyes, eyes more brilliant than she had ever seen before.
Ray cleared his throat and stood up to greet her, but Satine shook her head at him and stared directly at the man she thought to be the Duke.
"I believe you were expecting me," she said, then smiled.
The Duke's mouth worked, but no words came out. Finally he sputtered, "Y-yes."
"Let's get out of here," she replied and grasped his hand, pulling him toward the door.
§ § § §
§ § § §
Satine watched the party rage around her from her safe corner with Nini. She didn't particularly like the other girl but Zidler thought it was safer when they travelled together so Satine put up with Nini's constant complaints about everything. At the moment she was bitching that the party wasn't lively enough. Satine sighed and rolled her eyes, then checked her dress for what was easily the twelfth time that evening.
She was scheduled to meet with the Duke that night and everything had to be perfect. Together she and Zidler had picked out the sexiest outfit she owned, a cream coloured dress with a puffy skirt and sleeves that fell just off her shoulders. She had pinned up her flaming red hair in a simple ponytail and painted her lips red, then twirled for Zidler. He had approved, knowing the Duke would fall for her the moment he saw her.
"This is so borin'," Nini complained. "When's the damn Duke gonna get 'ere?"
Satine sighed. "You have to learn to be patient Nini. He'll get here whenever he feels like getting here. And then our plan will go off perfectly. Nothing can stop this from happening."
"You really think you're gonna spend the rest of your life with that man?" Nini asked, sneering at the very thought. "You've seen 'im, right S'tine?"
Satine shook her head slowly. Zidler had always made her vow that she would never go looking for the Duke or any of the Cobras. They were dangerous, everyone knew it and Satine wasn't about to get herself involved with them unless she had Zidler's protection.
As she mused about what the Duke could possibly look like, Ray walked in the front door of the party, two men trailing behind him. She squinted slightly, trying to see the faces of the other two but all she caught was a flash of green eyes passing over her face and then they disappeared into the crowd.
"S'tine?" Nini asked, elbowing her. "Didja hear what I said?"
Satine blinked rapidly, then stared over at Nini with a blank expression on her face.
Nini sighed in exasperation. "Zidler's tryin' to get your attention. I figure the Duke's finally arrived." She grinned. "Good luck."
Satine smiled gently. "Thanks. I hope this all works out for the best."
§ § § §
Ray drummed his fingers loudly on the coffee table he was sitting beside and cleared his throat constantly. Chris knew Ray was nervous about the meeting with Satine but he didn't quite understand what the big deal was. It would be easy to convince the girl that he could be a street spy, Chris had always been good at making up stories and he was positive he'd be able to convince her of anything. Still Ray looked nervous, glancing at his watch every few seconds.
"You okay?" Chris finally asked.
Ray glanced at him and shrugged. "Sure, I guess."
"He is nervous," the Argentinean offered simply.
Chris smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I kinda got that." He turned back to Ray. "Why are you so nervous?"
"This just has to be perfect, okay?" Ray said suddenly. "No fuck ups, no mistakes, nothing. If you screw this up kid . . ." he left the threat unfinished and sighed. "Look, I'm sorry. It's just that everything is ridin' on your performance tonight. Audrey's gone and if Satine doesn't think you're good enough to take his place Zidler's gonna have my head. Literally."
Chris bit his lip, suddenly just as nervous as Ray. He hardly knew the man but he didn't want to get him into any trouble.
"It'll be fine," Chris said, more to himself than anyone else. "Everything's gonna be fine."
Ray snorted. "You better hope it's fine. If it ain't . . ." he sighed. "There's not much time left. I've set up a meetin' between you and Satine. Totally alone."
Chris' mouth gaped open. "Alone? Totally alone?"
Ray's brow creased as he frowned. "Yeah, totally alone. Deal with it kid."
With a nervous sigh Chris turned away from Ray and the Argentinean, leaning against the wall and staring out at the crowd. A moment later he heard Ray cry out, but when he turned to look, the Argentinean looped an arm around his shoulders and forced him to stare the other way.
"It is the Duke. He cannot see you with Ray. Pretend you do not know us," he hissed, then let go of Chris.
"You shoulda moved," the Duke sneered and Chris turned around slowly, trying to pretend to be just an interested bystander.
Ray glanced up at the Duke, obviously quite unamused. The front of his jacket was dripping with beer. "You dropped your drink on me," Ray said.
The Duke snickered. "You got in the way."
Ray sighed and reached into the Duke's jacket. "Well then, I'll just borrow your cigarettes to mop up this mess," he growled. "Make 'em nice and wet."
"Fuck off," the Duke cried, slapping at Ray's hand.
The smaller man just laughed, then turned toward Chris and reached past him for a napkin. Chris watched as the Duke and Ray stared each other down, then tried to suppress a smile as the Duke finally backed down and stalked across the room. He turned away, still pretending to not know Ray or the Argentinean, afraid that someone might connect him to the Deuces.
§ § § §
Across the room Satine stared as Ray talking furiously to another man. She was sure it was this man that she had seen earlier, but he wasn't turned toward her and she couldn't get a good look at his eyes.
"Ready sweetie?" Zidler asked, nudging her gently.
Satine nodded and turned to him. "I am Harry. Are you ready to show me the lovely Duke?"
Zidler smiled, then shifted his gaze over Satine's shoulder. The smile slid off his face. "The Duke," he moaned, "is the one with Ray's hand in his jacket." Zidler placed both hands over his face and shook his head.
Satine whirled back in the direction she had been looking earlier to see Ray reach toward the man he had come in with. A bright smile swept over her face and she touched Zidler's arm.
"Are you sure?"
He nodded without looking again. "I'm quite sure."
"Well then," Satine grinned, "I don't think this will be at all difficult."
She patted Zidler's shoulder affectionately, then began to make her way across the room. A hush fell over the crowd as she walked and she nearly burst into laughter. Some men were so ridiculous with the way they stared at her. A smile played across her features at this thought; as if they could ever have her. She had standards.
As she neared Ray and the Duke, they both turned to stare at her and Satine found her breath caught in her throat. The Duke was far more handsome than she could have ever imagined. His body was lean and his hair was so dark and thick. It was combed off his face to reveal bright green eyes, eyes more brilliant than she had ever seen before.
Ray cleared his throat and stood up to greet her, but Satine shook her head at him and stared directly at the man she thought to be the Duke.
"I believe you were expecting me," she said, then smiled.
The Duke's mouth worked, but no words came out. Finally he sputtered, "Y-yes."
"Let's get out of here," she replied and grasped his hand, pulling him toward the door.
§ § § §